The Freebop Band is a vibrant ensemble with shifting personnel that has been in existence since the late '70s. Malachi Thompson is a talented trumpeter and an ambitious bandleader who reprises the fiery jazz aesthetic of t... more &raquohe hard-bop '60s with bold, modern arrangements and particularly passionate soloing. Accompanied by a rotating cast of saxophonists including Billy Harper, Oliver Lake, and Carter Jefferson, Thompson and the rest of his Freebop Band spring through a buoyant repertoire of primarily original material. While the group embraces Thompson's compositions with verve and enthusiasm, it also displays a strong sense of tradition on an updated version of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight." Featuring heady recitations by Amiri Baraka, Sharese Locke, and Thompson himself, the CD gracefully unites vintage bohemia with modern jazz. --Mitch Myers&laquo less

Synopsis

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The Freebop Band is a vibrant ensemble with shifting personnel that has been in existence since the late '70s. Malachi Thompson is a talented trumpeter and an ambitious bandleader who reprises the fiery jazz aesthetic of the hard-bop '60s with bold, modern arrangements and particularly passionate soloing. Accompanied by a rotating cast of saxophonists including Billy Harper, Oliver Lake, and Carter Jefferson, Thompson and the rest of his Freebop Band spring through a buoyant repertoire of primarily original material. While the group embraces Thompson's compositions with verve and enthusiasm, it also displays a strong sense of tradition on an updated version of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight." Featuring heady recitations by Amiri Baraka, Sharese Locke, and Thompson himself, the CD gracefully unites vintage bohemia with modern jazz. --Mitch Myers